My Thuan 2 Bridge will connect the Trung Luong My Thuan Can Tho expressway over the  Tien River. — Photo dddn.com.vn

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — Steps towards the creation of the My Thuan 2 Bridge, connecting the Trung Luong My Thuan Can Tho expressway over the Mekong Delta Tien River, are underway.

Project Management Unit 7 (PMU 7) recently submitted a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) proposal to the Ministry of Transport, in hopes of moving forward the timely project.

Construction of the bridge will have to begin soon as the My Thuan Can Tho part of the expressway project was scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016.

It will take 6.4km and six-lanes to connect the two Mekong provinces of Vinh Long and Tien Giang and the new bridge will sit just 1.2km upstream from its predecessor, My Thuan Bridge.

In order to facilitate waterway traffic under the bridge, PMU 7's proposal recommended four different options with costs ranging from VND7.1 trillion ($US334 million) to VND9.76 trillion ($458 million), and a return of investment time from around 25 to 29 years.

Director General of PMU 7, Nguyen Chung Khanh, said the waterway traffic plans were carefully designed to minimise collisions, but that "further studies are required before we can come up with truly permanent solutions for waterway traffic."

As for bridge tolls, Khanh said vehicles might only have to pay one inclusive fee, which will cover the Trung Luong-My Thuan-Can Tho expressway and the two My Thuan Bridges. — VNS